Memories are a POWERFUL thing, it can lift us up, bring us down, make us thankful or learn from mistakes. I was recently working in the shop with walnut wood and the smell triggered memories of my father and I making an entertainment center when i was 16, it's like I was there. The senses of sight, touch and sound are just as impactful.

Recently I was listening to the 70's music on iHeart Radio, wow did it ever take me back to a simpler time, you know the feeling. It's amazing when you hear a song and it unlocks memories and triggers emotions from times you thought you had forgotten, it's a powerful thing. Not long after that, I was thinking, 'what ever happened to my first camera?', honestly, i have no idea, but i had to look on eBay and found the exact model in pristine condition, an Olympus OM10. I purchased a camera exactly like this in 1979 to photograph sporting events for my local hometown newspaper. As soon as I got it, yep, I looked through the viewfinder and, more powerful than any song, a flood of memories came back as I saw the meter and heard the click of the camera and cranked the film advance. Then I looked at my current camera and thought of millions of images I've been blessed to take over the last 35 + years, the people the camera has put me in front of and the number of cameras I've had. So I had to take this photo of the two cameras, the first and the present.

I calculated I've had right at 20 different cameras between, some were very large as the second photo shows (a copy of a self portrait), the largest was a Mamiya RB67 with a 100-200 zoom lens. A few others were Hasselblad that I used at many proms, graduations and weddings and put thousands of rolls of film through them all. Wow how times and technology have changes… but thankful my memories the cameras have given me have never changed.

I've been a member of the Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce for a few years now. I've been involved in more networking and going to chamber events. When Shana at the chamber asked if I would be interested in being a Diplomat, while I was honored, I was a little hesitant, not knowing what was involved. After asking around, I'm glad I did. For those who do not know what a chamber diplomat is, they're a volunteer representative of the chamber who attends chamber events (morning breakfasts, after hours, ribbon cuttings, special events and meals on wheels). Since I've been one only 7 months, I've really enjoyed getting to know my fellow diplomats and especially being a part of the community. Being able to see the new businesses and get to know about them is a blessing.

I've tried to attend as many events as possible to be a part, as a result, I've been one of four selected as Diplomat of the Month for the past 3 months. If you want to be a part of the community, join your chamber and get involved, you'll be glad you did.